One of Bradbury's detractors once wrote a "Case" against him. The sentence which stood out for me when I read the piece was that Bradbury was an author so tied to his own time and place as to make his work incomprehensible to anyone not born in America during the years 1920-1940! So, for the record: where are you from, and what era?

I'll start: I was born and live in America, West Coast.

And, if they care to admit it, was ANYONE here born between 1920 and 1940? I was born over 20 years after 1940 and the only thing I find "incomprehensible" about Mr. Bradbury's work is people saying they "don't get it."

The article was "The Case Against Ray Bradbury," by Edward Wood. "Journal of Science Fiction," Fall 1951. (I don't think this is the same Ed Wood who did "Plan Nine from Outer Space." For one thing, Donn Albright related having met this guy years later and said "he still hates Ray Bradbury," and I think the movie Ed Wood was dead long before when this would have been, but I could, of course, be mistaken.)

I remarked to Donn how WRONG that statement was--I was born in 1961 also--(of course, both my parents were born well before 1940, and I'd have to be influenced by them, but still.) Since discovering this message board, I've been astounded by how universal Bradbury's ideas really are, apart from not only America but from English itself! For a lengthy era, Russia was considered the USA's number one nemesis--you should read "Mars and the Mind of Man"--about half of it seems to be speculating on "what the Russians will do and how much they'll tell us"--yet some of the best readers and posters here are from Russia! Now, THAT really says something!

Uh oh...1959 here, born in Rifle Colorado, Raised in Carlsbad near the Caverns...or the Roswell crash site(partied with Brassil's grandson) Now I live in Fort Worth, near Carswell(where they took the 'bodys'). I seem to keep living near debris fields! Columbia is a REAL one(saw that happen) But is Roswell real? I missed seeing that by 12yrs or so..(would rather see Yeager if I was going back).

Although Ray would probably tell you otherwise, I believe Roswell is real. As with any controversial event, conflicting stories arose, sometimes years later, but that doesn't mean nothing really happened. A Discovery Channel program recently made a good case for it.

I was born in Fairfax VA, in 1980 and have never moved I went to collage at George Mason University and when I was 15 i spent a year in London as a exchange student. I first read Ray when i was 14 and I have never had a problem understanding it.

[This message has been edited by whateverfloatsyourboat (edited 04-04-2004).]

Born (1955) and raised in the Los Angeles area. Turned on to Bradbury via a pressured reading of F451 in 9th grade (a friend nagged me to death until I read it). It changed my life. That book turned me on to the idea of ideas. We are what we think, at some level.